Scott-O-Meter

Browse the Scott-O-Meter: All promises By Subject Economy Taxes Education Environment PolitiFact Florida has compiled promises that Rick Scott made during the 2010 and 2014 campaigns and is tracking their progress on our Scott-O-Meter. We rate their status as Not Yet Rated, In the Works or Stalled. Once we find action is completed, we rate them Promise Kept, Compromise or Promise Broken. (See our About the Scott-O-Meter page for details on our ratings.) The report card above provides an up-to-the-minute tally of all the promises.

Scott-O-Meter Scorecard

Promise Kept

0% 37 Promises

Compromise

0% 15 Promises

Promise Broken

0% 24 Promises

Stalled

0% 0 Promises

In the Works

0% 0 Promises

For more details, see the Principles of PolitiFact

Latest Scott-O-Meter Promises

Rick Scott

Will fight to repeal federal health care law

Small gains but no repeal in Rick Scott’s Obamacare promise | January 3, 2019

Rick Scott

Veto pork-barrel spending

Rick Scott vetoed a lot of pork projects | January 4, 2019

Rick Scott

Pay competitive market-based salaries for corrections staff

Scott made headway on prison salaries promise | January 4, 2019

Rick Scott

Create a program for $10,000 STEM degrees

Students enrolled in $10k STEM degrees during Scott’s tenure | January 4, 2019

Rick Scott

More funding for springs restoration and alternative water supply programs

After cuts, Florida added more dollars for springs | January 3, 2019

Rick Scott

Reform PSC for more energy production

Traditional power saw gains during Scott’s tenure | December 21, 2018

Rick Scott

Invest in the Florida Innovation Fund

Scott made some progress toward business fund promise | December 21, 2018

Rick Scott

Reform Citizens Insurance to consistently operate on actuarially sound rates

Scott made progress toward Citizens insurance promise | December 21, 2018

Rick Scott

Reform Medicaid with a federal waiver

Gov. Rick Scott kept his promise on Medicaid waivers | December 11, 2018

Rick Scott

Issue an executive order for springs improvement

Scott never issued springs restoration executive order | December 6, 2018

Rick Scott

Make Florida No. 1 in higher education affordability

Scott ends second term close to affordability goal on tuition | December 6, 2018

Rick Scott

Be No. 1 in nation for student performance in reading and math

Florida is not No. 1 in reading, math, despite Scott promise | December 4, 2018

Rick Scott

Spend $25 billion on roads over five years to ease congestion

Scott kept promise on Florida road investment | November 29, 2018

Rick Scott

Be No. 1 in high school graduation rates

Scott broke promise for Florida to rise to No. 1 in high school graduation rates | November 28, 2018

Rick Scott

Grow Florida’s economy by $74B in GDP, $41B in personal income, and $1B in tax revenues

Scott met promise to grow Florida’s economy | November 26, 2018

Rick Scott

Double funding for programs to expand Florida businesses

Scott broke promise on doubling business funding | November 26, 2018

Rick Scott

Double investment in digital learning initiatives

Gov. Rick Scott doubled digital learning | November 26, 2018

Rick Scott

Eliminate Florida’s corporate income tax over 7 years

Rick Scott broke promise to get rid of corporate taxes | November 26, 2018

Rick Scott

Be in the Top 10 and Top 25 ranked public universities

With help from UF, FSU, Scott reaches university rankings goal | October 8, 2018

Rick Scott

Expand school options for parents

With new Hope scholarship, Scott continues to expand school choice | April 24, 2018

Rick Scott

Phase out the state sales tax on commercial leases

Gov. Rick Scott fails to repeal Florida’s commercial lease tax | April 23, 2018

Rick Scott

Create over 700,000 jobs

Gov. Rick Scott mostly fulfills promise to create 700,000 jobs in 7 years | April 10, 2018

Rick Scott

Increase school security spending

Rick Scott signs bill strengthening school safety into law | April 5, 2018

Rick Scott

Propose an amendment to curb property tax increases

Scott breaks promise for property tax amendment | March 20, 2018

Rick Scott

Investigate every standardized test

Scott delivered on promise to study standardized tests | August 10, 2017

Rick Scott

Create a $2 million state park improvement grant to win a fourth national gold medal

Legislature didn’t fund Scott’s parks grant | April 4, 2017

Rick Scott

Require drug screening for welfare recipients

Florida bill would drug test some applicants for welfare | March 14, 2017

Rick Scott

Enact tougher penalties for violating environmental regulations

Gov. Rick Scott breaks promise to enact tougher environmental penalties | March 28, 2016

Rick Scott

Raise per-pupil education spending to an all-time high

Legislature brings spending up to Scott’s desired level | March 28, 2016

Rick Scott

Eliminate the state’s manufacturing tax

Manufacturing equipment sales tax suspension made permanent | March 28, 2016

Rick Scott

Reduce the state’s communications services sales tax

2015 cell phone tax cut adds up for Scott | January 25, 2016

Rick Scott

Expand use of nuclear power and alternative fuels

Scott approved nuclear power plants, but not much focus on other alternatives | September 4, 2014

Rick Scott

Reduce the state’s workforce by 5 percent

State workforce reduction still meets Scott’s goal | September 2, 2014

Rick Scott

Support university-private partnerships

State funding for a university project, but no new action on corridor council-type programs | August 27, 2014

Rick Scott

Bring state employee health insurance costs in line with the U.S. average

Legislature still refuses to raise worker contributions | August 18, 2014

Rick Scott

Use inmate labor to grow prison food

Edible crops program grew under Scott | August 14, 2014

Rick Scott

Include universities in state economic development grants

States getting some money, but not every time | August 11, 2014

Rick Scott

Reduce property tax by another 1 mill over next 7 years

Required local effort’s rate barely budges in four years | July 21, 2014

Rick Scott

Will fight immigration amnesty

Scott opposed amnesty but supported in-state tuition | July 2, 2014

Rick Scott

Reduce prisoner costs by $1 billion

Nowhere near $1 billion cut from prison budget | July 1, 2014

Rick Scott

Will oppose and veto any tax increases

With Legislature’s help, Scott keeps his promise on taxes | June 18, 2014

Rick Scott

Put grant-writing and regulatory specialists in local economic development offices

Grant writers and regulatory specialists in local development offices? No sign of them | February 10, 2014

Rick Scott

Lower workers’ compensation costs by 35 percent

Scott fails to lowers workers comp by promised amount | January 20, 2014

Rick Scott

More stringent standards on work requirements for welfare

Scott has failed to tighten work rules for welfare clients | December 11, 2013

Rick Scott

Protect doctors working for the state Department of Health from litigation

Scott signs bills that extend protection to certain doctors | December 6, 2013

Rick Scott

Preserve Florida Resident Access Grants

College student grants preserved | December 5, 2013

Rick Scott

Enact tort reform

PIP reform passed but battles remain | December 4, 2013

Rick Scott

Explore expansion of domestic drilling in a safe, environmentally sound way

Rick Scott’s oil drilling talk has come up dry | October 2, 2013

Rick Scott

Ban embryonic stem cell research

Rick Scott fails to pursue stem cell research ban | October 2, 2013

Rick Scott

Lower electricity costs for business

Data points to a drop for businesses but hard to quantify total dollars | June 5, 2013

Rick Scott

Adopt the Daubert standard on scientific knowledge

Scott signs bill for a stricter threshold for scientific evidence in court | June 5, 2013

Rick Scott

Return Florida’s state and local spending to at least the 2004 level

If you account for inflation, he’s met the goal | May 31, 2013

Rick Scott

Institute Accountability Budgeting for each state agency

Legislature has shown no interest in accountability budgeting | May 20, 2013

Rick Scott

Align state employee pension contributions with other states

Florida Supreme Court sides with Rick Scott in pension lawsuit | January 17, 2013

Rick Scott

Bring Arizona’s immigration law to Florida

How will Supremes’ ruling on Arizona Law affect Florida? | June 25, 2012

Rick Scott

Require all Florida employers to use E-Verify system

Scott now wants a national E-Verify program | June 25, 2012

Rick Scott

Refuse temporary federal funds that create permanent spending

Scott killed high-speed rail in 2011 | January 5, 2012

Rick Scott

No budget gimmicks, one-time revenues, borrowed funds, temporary funds or tax increases

Scott raided trust funds to help balance budget | January 5, 2012

Rick Scott

Propose biennial budgets and give the public time to participate

Scott drops two-year budget plan | January 5, 2012

Rick Scott

Lower unemployment costs for employers

Gov. Rick Scott signs law to cut unemployment benefits, easing employer burden | December 15, 2011

Rick Scott

Create “knowledge center ” for teaching

Online knowledge center launched | December 8, 2011

Rick Scott

Provide parents with annual financial reports on schools

Scott keeps promise on providing data to parents | December 2, 2011

Rick Scott

Eliminate overlapping economic development agencies

Scott signs into law Department of Economic Opportunity | December 2, 2011

Rick Scott

Ensure that voluntary pre-K program includes private or faith-based providers

Scott and Legislature cut funding but kept faith-based providers in the mix | November 29, 2011

Rick Scott

Use competitive bids on health care contracts in prisons

2011-12 budget includes language privatizing state prison health care services | June 1, 2011

Rick Scott

Reduce insurance fraud involving sinkholes

Scott signs property insurance bill to limit sinkhole fraud | May 18, 2011

Rick Scott

New classification for charter schools

High-performing charter schools could expand up to 15 percent per year under bill headed to Scott | May 9, 2011

Rick Scott

Provide legal protection for first-responders

Good Samaritan law heading to governor’s desk | May 9, 2011

Rick Scott

Authorize virtual charter schools as an option

Whether or not Scott had to do much, he’s getting his wish | May 6, 2011

Rick Scott

Include use of technology in teacher evaluations

Requirement that evaluations consider technology stripped from final version of teacher bill | March 24, 2011

Rick Scott

Eliminate tenure for new teachers

New teachers can only receive one-year contracts | March 24, 2011

Rick Scott

Pay teachers based on performance (merit pay)

New teachers will be paid based on student performance | March 24, 2011

Rick Scott

Sell the state plane

State sells off planes | February 14, 2011

Rick Scott

Reduce property tax (Required Local Effort) by 1 mill

School tax cuts proposed are less than half of what Rick Scott promised | February 9, 2011

Rick Scott

Freeze all regulations

Cabinet members push back on Scott regulation freeze | January 14, 2011

Rick Scott

Will not take the $130,000 governor’s salary

The cost of Florida’s new governor? 1 penny | January 7, 2011